Articles

Giant Monitor Lizard Eats Fruit

Giant monitor lizard eats fruit, according to articles in BBC News and New Scientist, 7 April 2010. A giant monitor lizard has been found in the forests in the Sierra Madre mountain range on the north-east coast of Luzon, the largest island of the Philippines. The lizard has been named Varanus bitatawa, and is about two metres (6ft 6in) long and has dark skin with bright yellow spots and flecks. The creature is reclusive and rarely leaves the forest. Although new to western scientists it was well known to the local tribes people, who hunt it for food. Unlike most monitor lizards V. bitatawa lives on a diet of fruit. Two other fruit-eating monitors are known, including V. olivaceus, a lizard found in forests about 150km from where the new species was found.

Editorial Comment: This fruit eating monster reminds sharp teeth don’t tell you what a creature eats – only how it eats. It’s also a reminder of the statement in Genesis 1:30, that once all creatures, large or small ate plants Monitor lizards have recently been found to be venomous. (See New Scientist, 16 December 2005 and Nature, vol 439, p584, 2 Feb 2006) We are not told whether this newly found creature is venomous, but if it is it will be good evidence that venom was originally designed to aid digestion, rather than kill other animals. It was only after the world degenerated and animals started eating other animals that those that already had venom found they could use it to kill their prey. (Ref. diet, reptiles, Asia)